Nail leather-heading machine.



P. & G. B. KNAPP.

NAIL LEATHER HEADING MACHINE.

APPLIQATION FILED 3122113.11909.

Patented May 30, 1911.

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F. & G. B. KNAPP.

NAIL LEATHER HEADING MACHINE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED sPT.1s,1909.

994,008, 1 Patented May 30, 19711.

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NAIL LEATHER HEADING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED sEPT.13,19o9.

994,908, Patented May 3o, 1911.

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THE Nomzls Fermes co., wAsHlNafo/v, n c.

FRANK KNAPP AND GEORGE '.B. KNAPP, 0F KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

NAIL LEATHER-HEADING MACHINE.

conoce.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented May 30, 1911.

Application filed September 13, 1909. Serial No. 517,446.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK KNAPP and GEORGE B. KNAPP, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson andState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements inNail Leather-Heading Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to nail leather-heading machines, and has for itsobject to produce a machine of this character which performs itsfunction efficiently, reliably and expeditiously.

Vith this general object in view and others as hereinafter appear, theinvention consists in certain novel and peculiar features ofconstruction and organization as hereinafter described and claimed; andin order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, is a front view of a nailleatherheading machine embodying our invention. Fig. 2, is a top planview of the same. Fig. 3, is a right-hand side view of the machine. Fig.4, is an enlarged section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3. Fig. 5, isa vertical section on the line V-V of Fig. 2. Fig. 6, is a section onthe line VI-VI of Fig. 3. Fig. 7, is a section on the line VII-VH ofFig. 4 with the feed wheel omitted. Fig. 8, is a diagrammatic viewshowing the electrical connections between the make-and-break device andthe electromagnet, forming parts of the machine.

Before proceeding with. the detailed description of the machine, it isdesirable to state that nails equipped with leather or equivalent headsor washers are used in electrical work and that heretofore it has beencustomary for the workmen engaged in Stringing electric wires inbuildings to slip perforated leather disks upon the nails by hand, arather slow and tedious operation.

Referring now to the det-ail construction, 1 indicates a pedestal havinga top 2 provided with an extension 3 projecting to the right and anextension 4 projecting and sloping upward to the left, a nail-receptacle5 being preferably supported upon eXtension 3, and a leather headreceptacle 6 upon extension 4, and having the discharge end of itsbottom of concave arcuate form. The top is provided with an arcuate slot6 struck from the same center by preference as the concave edge ofreceptacle 6 and said slot rearward of such center' terminates in acontracted or narrow portion 6b of slightly larger width, by preference,than the diameter of a ten-penny nail. At its rear edge the top isprovided with an upwardly projecting standard 7 as al support formechanism. hereinafter described.

8 is a stud bolt secured in and projecting upward from top 2 axially ofthe concave edge of the bottom of receptacle 6 and the slot 6a, andresting flatly upon the top 2 is a feed wheel 9 in the form of a ratchetwheel, of the same thickness by preference, as the bottom of receptacle6 and of such size that its teeth almost scrape the concave edge of thebottom of said receptacle in their rotative movement.

The ratchet wheel as shown is equipped with eighteen teeth and near itsperiphery with a corresponding number of holes 10, of size to receivethe leather heads hereinafter identified and of slightly smallerdiameter than slot 6a over which they successively pass in the rotationof the wheel, and to impart rotative step bystep movement to said feedwheel, the following mechanism is provided:

11 is a rock lever pivoted on stud bolt 8 and consisting of a rearwardlyprojecting arm 12 and a forwardly projecting arm 13, the latter'pivotally carrying a pawl 14 and a spring 15 to hold the pawl pressedyieldingly against the ratchet-toothed edge of the feed wheel.

16 is a bracket swiveled to the rear end of arm 12, and pivotallyconnected by a link 17 to a rock-bar 18 pivoted on bolt 19 carried bystandard 7, the upper end of said rock bar 18 carrying a pin 2O engagingthe slot of a vertically reciprocating bar 21, said slot consisting of apair of vertical end portions 22 and 23 out of alinement with each otherand connected together by a compound curved or cam portion 24. Thereciprocatory bar 21 is provided with a longitudinal slot 25 slidablymounted on and guided by pivot 19 and is also provided with an arm 26pivotally connected to a bolt 27 which is in turn pivoted by a link 28to the free end of the crank arm 29 of a shaft 30, journaled in theupper end of standard 7, motion being imparted continuously in onedirection to said'shaft by a driven wheel 31 mounted thereon, said wheelbeing of any suitable or preferred type, but shown as a sprocket wheel.The shaft is also provided with the rotary member of a circuitmakingand-breaking device, said member consisting'of a shaft having aperiphery consisting of insulating material 32 and conducting material33. The companion member of the circuit making-and-breaking deviceconsists of a contact pin 34 fitting in the socketed bracket 35 securedto standard 7 by preference, and insulated from the same at 36, orotherwise, a spring 37 fitting in the socket of said bracket and holdingthe contact pin pressed yieldingly against the periphery of the rotarymember, so that the circuit shall be made and broken once in eachrevolution of the same.

38 is a vertical reciprocatory driver' or plunger mounted slidably inthe keeper or guide 39 secured to standard 7 said plunger beingvertically alined with each hole 10 of the feed wheel, as such holessuccessively assume positions directly rearward of the axis of the wheelas hereinafter explained. The upper end of the driver or plunger ispivoted to bolt 27, so that once in each revolution of t-he shaft 30,the driver or plunger and bar 21 shall move downward and upward.

40 is a link pivotally connected at its lower end to bolt 27 andprovided at its upper end with a bolt 4l engaging the longitudinal slot42 in the head of a T-shaped lever 43, pivoted as at 44 to standard 7and pivotally connected at the outer end of its stem by a link 45 to arock arm 46, pivoted at 47 to standard 7. The free end of the rock arm46 is pivotally connected by alink 48 to the upper end of a verticalslide bar 49 provided with a longitudinal slot 50 guided upon bolts 5lsecured to a vertical rib 52 projecting forward from said standard.Projecting forward from the lower end and side margins of slide bar 49is a pair of vertical arms 53 provided with obtuse-angle-shaped slots 54and 55 inverted with respect to each other and so disposed that one ofthe arms of slot 54 extends vertically and the other downwardly andrearwardly, and one of the arms of slot 55 extends vertically and theother upwardly and rearwardly, the angles of the slots beingtransversely alined as will be apparent by reference to Fig. 3.

56 and 57 are vertical rock-bars pivoted to arms 57a of a keeperhereinafter described and rock bar 56 has a pin 58 slid-- ingly engagingslot 54 and rock bar 57 a pin 59 slidably engaging slot 55.

60 and 61 are slide bolts pivoted at their outer ends to rock bars 56and 57 respectively and mounted slidably in the keeper 62 projectingforward from a U-shaped chute 63 suitably supported by the standard orotherwise, the front wall of the chute having openings 64 and 65 throughwhich said bolts 60 and 61 may be projected to form temporary partitionsfor the chute. The chute is of sufficient depth to accommodate the nailsemployed, ten-penny nails being the size ordinarily used andsufiiciently narrow to permit the heads of the nails numbered 66 to restupon the upper edges of the walls of the chute. The chute is inclineddownward and to the left at the proper angle to permit the nails togravitate downward until the foremost one is arrested by bolt 60 or 61as the case may be, as hereinafter explained, and the outer end or mouthof the chute is preferably flared as at 67 to facilitate the insertionof the nails in the chute.

Pivoted to pin 68 projecting forward .from standard 7 is a nailsupporter 69 having one end projecting under the driver or plunger whenelevated and at such end disposed adjacent to the discharge end of thechute 63, said end of the nail supporter having a bifurcation 70 justwide enough to easily receive the shanks of the nails but not the headsso that said nails shall successively hang by their heads upon saidsupporter vertically below the driver or plunger. The opposite end ofthe nail supporter is of suflicient weight to yieldingly hold thesupporter in the position described, a stop pin 71 projecting from thestandard 7 for the purpose of preventing the end of the supporter fromattaining an inoperative position, that is attaining a position higherthan the discharge end of the chute.

72 is a stop secured to the top 2 or at any other suitable point andadapted to prevent the point of the nail from being 'drawn out ofalinement with the driver or plunger and the center of the underlyinghole 10 of the feed wheel, by means of the core 74 of the electroma'gnct73, said core in the preferred construction fitting slidingly within thecoil or magnet and adapted to be magnetized periodically as hereinafterexplained.

75 is a pivot connecting the said core to the lower end of. rock bar 18so that the rocking movement of said rock bar shall impart longitudinalmovement in one direction or the other to the core, and secured to theopposite sides of the core and projecting beyond the adjacent end of thesame are non-magnetic plates 76 to guard against back and fort-hswinging movement of the nails as they are successively caught by thesupporter.

77 is a wire electrically connected at its opposite ends to the coil ormagnet 73, and the contact pin 34. 78 is a wire connecting the oppositeend of said coil with battery 79 or an equivalent source ofelectric-current supply, the opposite pole of said battery beingconnected by a wire 80 to the rotary member of the make-and-breakdevice.

The receptacle 5 is adapted to be charged with nailsnone being shown inthe box,

or the nails may be transferred from the usual receptacle or keg to thechute. The perforated disks 81 are adapted to be stored in receptacle 6and deposited by hand or otherwise in the holes 10 of the feed wheel, orany suitable means not shown, may be employed for Aautomaticallydisposing the nails in the chute, and the perforated disks in the holesin the feed wheel, said meansforming no part of the present invention.

Assuming that the parts are in the position shown, and that the shaft 30is being driven in the direction indicated by the arrow Fig. 1, it willbe seen, that through the instrumentality of the crank arm 29 and link28, the driver or plunger 38 and bar 21 will be moved downward and thatthe former will engage the head of the nail suspended from the pivotedsupporter 69, and start said nail downward, it being noticed that atthis instant the core 74 is advanced and magnetized because of thecompletion of the circuit through the engagement of the conductingmaterial and contact pin 34, it being also noticed that the feed wheelis stationary because of the inaction of rock bar 18. Shortly after thedriver or plunger has moved downward sufliciently to project the pointof the nail through the alined hole of the leather disk underlying thedriver or plunger, the core becomes demagnetized through the rotarymovement of the member 32 of the circuit making-and-breaking device andat about the same instant the cani portion 24 of the slot of thedownwardly moving bar 21, engages pin 20 and rocks the lower end of therock bar outward, this movement incidentally returning the rock bar 11from the position shown in Fig. 2 to its initial position to permit thepawl 14 to be forced by sprino1 15 into engagement with the next toothoL-f the feed wheel. In

, the withdrawal of the core it is incapabledue to the presence ofresidual magnetismof disarranging the nail because the lower end of thelatter is held by stop 72, and its upper end is against the ba'se of thebifurcation of the supporter, which suporter as will be readilyunderstood is pushed aside under the pressure of the driver or plungeron the nail head until the latter eventually slides 0H the upper side ofthe supporter, the opposite end of the supporter swinging afterwardbetween the rock bar 18 and bar 21. The movement of the driver orplunger continues until the head of the nail nearly comes in contactwith the top of the disk or leather head, the feed wheel remainingstationary during the engagement of pin 20 with the portion 22 of theslot of bar 21. Just before the downward movement of the driver orplunger is completed pin 41 carried by link 40, attains the lower end ofslot 42 and rocks the T-shaped rock lever 43 and hence through link 45rock arm 46 and link 48, slides bar 49 upward. In this movement therearwardly and upwardly projecting portion of slot 55 through engagementwith pin 59, slides bolt 61 rearward until it forms a temporarypartition for the chute and it remains in such projected position untilthe lower end of the vertical portion of the slot 55 comes intoengagement with said pin.

Inthe first half of the upward movement of the slide bar 49, the rocklever 56 remains stationary because of the engagement of its pin 58 withthe vertical portion of slot 54. In the last half of such upwardmovement the downwardly and rearwardly inclined portion of said slot 54engages said pin 58 and rocks the lever 56 and effects the withdrawal ofbolt 60 from the chute and thus permits the nails to gravitate downwardin the chute until the foremost is arrested by the projected bolt 61.

As the second half of the revolution of the crank shaft occurs, thedriver or plunger and bar 21 are relevated. During the reelevation ofbar 21, the cam portion 24 of its slot rocks the rock bar 18 back to itsoriginal position and thus redisposes core 74 in the position shown inFig. 1, and at the same time operates rock lever 11 and causes the samethrough the instrumentality of pawl 14 to rotate the feed wheel one stepin the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 2, this movement movingthe nail equipped with the leather head from the contracted end 6b ofthe slot 61L in top 2, to a position over the body portion of said slotin order that such nail may drop through said slot into a suitablereceptacle, not shown, the leather disk occupying the next opening 10,being at the same time disposed vertically below the driver or plungerand over the contracted end of the slot, ready to receive the neXt nail.

In the latter part of the second half of the revolution of crank shaft30, the pin 41 attains the upper end of slot 42 of the T- shaped leverand rocks the same and through the instrumentality of link 45, rock arm46 and link 48, moves the slide bar 49 downward and the slide bolts 60and 61 are reversely operated, that is bolt 60 is repro] ected into thechute between the two foremost nails and then bolt 61 is withdrawn fromthe path of the foremost nail to permit the latter to slide downward ando the inclined end of the chute and onto the nail supporter. Just beforethis occurs the advanced core 74 is renergized by the rengagement ofconductor 83 and contact pin 34, and as a result said core attracts andpulls the nail squarely against its advanced end and between thenonmagnetic plates and incidentally against the base of the bifurcationof the nail supporter and the alined or free end of stop 72, so thatsuch nail shall be held in a vertical position and in perfect alinementwith the driver or plunger and the perforation ofthe underlying disk.

A complete cycle of the operations has been described, all futureoperations being repetitions as will be readily understood. The -machineoperates with great rapidity and should any of the headed nails throughthe-adhesion of the leather heads to the Walls of the holes in the feedWheel fail to drop through slot 6a into the receptacle below, they Willbe dislodged by a spring knocler 82 secured at one end to the standard7, the free end of the knocker resting frictionally on the feed Wheeland swinging successively down into the openings l() thereof anddislodging as above stated, any nail, Which fails to drop into thereceptacle as explained.

From the above description it Will be apparent that We have produced anail leatherheading machine embodying the features of advantageenumerated as desirable which obviously is susceptible of modificationin minor particulars Without departing from the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described the invention what We claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A nail feeding machine, comprising a movable nail supporter, a magnetto hold the nail in a vertical position, means for moving` the nailendvvise and the nail supporter out of the Way of the nail, means todemagnetize the magnet, and means for withdrawing the magnet fromoperative position With relation to the nail during the movement of thelatter.

2. A nail feeding machine, comprising a pivoted supporter for a nail, amovable magnet to hold the nail in vertical position,

means to impart endWise movement to the nail and cause the same to forcethe said supporter out of its path, means for demagnetizing the magnet,means for Withdrawing the magnet from operative relation to the nailshortly after the movement of the same begins, and means for returningthe nail-moving means to its original position.V 3. A nail feedingmachine, comprising a pivoted supporter for a nail, a movable magnet tohold the nail in vertical position, means to impart endWise movement tothe nail and cause the same to force the said supporter out of its path,means for de* magnetizing the magnet, means for Withdrawing the magnetfrom operative relation to the nail shortly after the movement of thesame begins, means for returning the nailmoving means to its originalposition, and means to return the magnet to its original position.

l. A nail feeding machine, comprising a movable nail supporter, a magnetto hold the nail in a vertical position, means for moving the nailendwise and the nail supporter out of the Way of the nail, means todemagnetize the magnet, a movable stop engaging the nail at the oppositeside thereof from the magnet and nearer its point than said magnet, andmeans for Withdrawing the magnet from operative relation to the nailduring the said movement of the same.

In testimony whereof We aifiX our signatures, in the presence of tWoWitnesses.

FRANK KNAPP. GEORGE B. KNAPP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained fol` ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

